MODULE I.

PSYCHOLOGY AS A BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

This module shall define Psychology and the concepts related to its history, fields,
and methodology. It will also examine behaviors with a more scientific approach and
attitude.

Unit 1: Etymology, History, and Fields of Psychology

ENGAGE
Before we start with our lectures and discussions, perhaps one of the first
questions you need to ask yourself is:

“Why did I take up Psychology?”

You may have the same reasons, or you may have different reasons. Whatever your
reason may be, we hope it is backed up by a correct understanding of what Psychology
is about.

MYTH or FACT?
At this point, let us see how much you know about Psychology. Below are
statements that may or may not be relevant to the study of Psychology. Read each one
and identify if it is a Myth or a Fact. Rely on your own knowledge and do not look at any
references. The answers will be given later on.

1. Psychology explains one’s ability to read minds.

2. “Third eye”, “manghuhula”, and astrology are topics under Psychology.
3. There is no Math in Psychology.
4. When you graduate and finish BS Psychology, you can be called a “Psychologist”.
5. Research is a part of all professions in Psychology.
6. To be a good Psychologist, you need to be good in giving advice.
7. Psychology graduates can work in the industrial setting.
8. Finishing Psychology is a ticket to being able to delve into and work under various
fields of Psychology.
9. Dreaming and hypnosis are topics discussed in Psychology.
10. In Psychology, one studies ways of thinking and feeling through mind reading.
11. To practice Psychology, you should be licensed.
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 12. In psychology, experiments are conducted in the laboratory, using chemicals and
substances.

EXPLORE
The Etymology of Psychology

Have you seen this symbol before?

The Greek capital letter psi is often used to represent the word, or study of,
Psychology.

The word “Psychology” comes from two Greek words:

Psyche and Logos

Psyche means “mind” or “soul”, and Logos means “science” or “study”.

EXPLAIN

After an engaging activity and a brief introduction of the word “Psychology”, we

are now ready to learn more. Let’s start.

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?
The word “Psychology” comes from two Greek words, “Psyche”, meaning mind or
soul, and “Logos”, meaning study or science. Simply putting the meanings of these two
words together would tell us that Psychology is the study of the mind. However, how do
we study something we cannot see?

What is in one’s mind and soul (or even heart) is usually expressed through our
actions or behaviors. We can make inferences about one’s thoughts and feelings, and
mental activities, but we always make them based on the way a person behaves.

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 Behavior is the only aspect of a person that is observable. And since we can only study
what we can see, the simple definition of “Psychology” would be “the study of
behavior”. A more complete and comprehensive definition would be:

Psychology is the science that seeks to describe, explain, measure, predict,

and change the behavior of humans and animals.

Behavior refers to what one does. It includes observable actions—all the things other
people can see—as well as things everyone else may not be able to see, such as
feelings, emotions, or thinking. It can either be overt or covert.

1. Overt behavior refers to the obvious and easily seen behavior. For instance, when
you see your mother cooking, or when you read your lecture notes online. Overt
behavior can be observed even without the use of tools or instruments.

2. Covert behavior is behavior that is not seen or not obvious. It is sometimes referred
to as “hidden”, wherein only the person doing the behavior is aware of it. For
example, thinking of what to cook for lunch, or dreaming of your friends. In these
instances, thinking and dreaming are not seen by other people.

Now, how do we study behavior? In Psychology, behavior is studied through

observation. Observation can either be unaided or aided.

1. Unaided Observation is simply observing a behavior, and is also referred to as

Naturalistic Observation. For example: watching your mother cook, or looking at
your brother while he is talking to someone.

2. Aided Observation is observing behavior with the help and use of tools or
instruments.
For example: You are a Researcher studying the use of social media among
adolescents. To find out about this, you ask your respondents to answer a questionnaire.
The tool used is the questionnaire, and the behavior to be observed is their use of social
media.

Observation may also be Objective or Introspective.

1. Objective observation is observing and

evaluating another person’s behavior.
Evaluating includes looking into what the
behavior is, when and where it is being done,
how it is being done, and why it is being done.

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 Example:
You are observing a man standing by the road, as if waiting for someone. He is not
wearing a mask, as what is required these days, and he appears to be oblivious to this.
You see him glancing at his watch from time to time, and also looking left and right.

2. Introspective observation is observing and evaluating one’s own behavior. The

word “introspection” refers to a process that involves looking inward to examine
one's own thoughts and emotions.
Example:
A man standing by the road starts feeling nervous as he realizes that he forgot to
wear a mask. Hoping no one reprimands him, he glances at his watch and feels
relieved because he knows his son will be arriving in a few minutes and they can go
home.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS IN PSYCHOLOGY

“Psychology has a long history, but a short past.”

This quote above explains that the concern to understand and explain human
behavior is as old as mankind. The psychology of today has its roots in many disciplines,
but most importantly, in Philosophy and Medicine. This is perhaps the reason why
Psychology is considered as a very good pre-Law or pre-Med course. Maybe some of
you took up Psychology because you want to take up Law or Medicine in the future.

Let us take a look at some historical highlights in Psychology.

Psychology was founded as a scientific discipline in 1879, when

Wilhelm Wundt established the first laboratory for experimental
psychology in Leipzig, Germany. Other pioneers in psychology followed,
as psychology was introduced in the United States of America. Over the
years, different perspectives in psychology with their specific orientations
in the study of behavior emerged. These perspectives will be discussed
in Unit 2.

In the Philippines, Psychology was probably taught as early as the 17 th century at

the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila and the University of San Carlos (USC) in
Cebu. However, psychology was closely tied up with philosophy and education, and
was not an independent course or subject. This condition persisted until the 1960s.

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 In 1962, the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) was
founded in response to psychology being a scientific discipline. The
PAP is the professional organization of psychologists (and now with
the law, psychometricians) in the Philippines. They publish the
Philippine Journal of Psychology, which contains studies and
researches done on various fields of psychology.

Here in Saint Louis University, Baguio City, the Psychology program

started in 1967 with its founder, Fr. Evarist Verlinden.

A greater interest in appropriate methods for the study of Filipino

behavior led to courses like Philippine (or Filipino) Psychology in the
1970s. In 1975, a multidisciplinary group, the Pambansang Samahan sa Sikolohiyang
Pilipino (PSSP) was founded, which aims to uplift the study of Filipino behavior.

The PAP proposed the Psychology Bill in 1983. The Bill aims to professionalize the
practice of psychology through a licensure exam and formal rules and regulations,
among others. This Bill was passed into Law on March 16, 2010 and since then has been
referred to as Republic Act (R.A.)10029 or “The Psychology Law”.

ELABORATE
E
Now that you know what Psychology is, and what it is about, you are
probably wondering about the different areas of psychology. Perhaps you want to
become a Clinical Psychologist someday, or a Guidance Counselor….or a Forensic
Psychologist. Let us look into the different branches or fields of psychology. Below are the
fields of psychology with very basic definitions/descriptions. You may want to read and
research more about the field you are interested in. This could also give you an idea as to
what to pursue in further studies after you finish BS Psychology.

FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY

Comparative Psychology – the study of similarities and differences in the behavior and
abilities of humans and animals

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 Educational Psychology – the study of factors that impact learning, including learning
methods and how information is processed and absorbed

Clinical Psychology - relates to psychologists directly providing comprehensive

healthcare to patients who are suffering from mental illness

Industrial Psychology – the study of how human behavior impacts industries and
organizations, and vice versa

Guidance and Counseling - treatment of people who are experiencing an emotional

strain caused by social or physical factors, or what we refer to as “normal
developmental problems”

Forensic Psychology – the study of evidences in relation to crime and the like, with focus
on work in the intersection of the legal system and the field of psychology. Here,
evaluations and research that help guide legal proceedings are conducted.

Engineering Psychology – the study of how people work best with machines, and how
machines affect behavior

Consumer Psychology - the study of human behavior regarding their buying patterns,
customs and preferences in relation to consumer products

Environmental Psychology – the study of how the environment influences behavior. It

applies psychological principles to improve the physical environment.

Sports Psychology – the study of how sports affect human behavior and vice versa

Psychopharmacology - the study of drug-induced changes in mood, thinking, and

behavior

Social Psychology – the study of individual behaviors and personalities within a social
context

Abnormal Psychology – the study of abnormal behavior or thinking. Abnormal behavior

is considered conduct that doesn’t comply with societal norms, which can include
mental illnesses such as bulimia or schizophrenia.

Developmental Psychology – the study of human development from birth until old age
Child Psychology
Adolescent Psychology
Adulthood Psychology
Old Age Psychology

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 EVALUATE
E
How did you like the first Unit?
Remember the Myths and Facts activity in the first part of this Unit? Let’s see how
much you know about Psychology by looking at the answers whether each statement is a
Myth or Fact.

1. Psychology explains one’s ability to read minds. - MYTH

2. “Third eye”, “manghuhula”, and astrology are topics under Psychology. - MYTH
3. There is no Math in Psychology. - MYTH
4. When you graduate and finish BS Psychology, you can be called a “Psychologist”.
- MYTH
5. Research is a part of all professions in Psychology. - FACT
6. To be a good Psychologist, you need to be good in giving advice. - MYTH
7. Psychology graduates can work in the industrial setting. - FACT
8. Finishing Psychology is a ticket to being able to delve into and work under various
fields of Psychology. - MYTH
9. Dreaming and hypnosis are topics discussed in Psychology. – FACT
10. In Psychology, one studies ways of thinking and feeling through mind reading. -
MYTH
11. To practice Psychology, you should be licensed. - FACT
12. In psychology, experiments are conducted in the laboratory, using chemicals and
substances. - MYTH

So, how did you fare? Do not worry if you had incorrect answers. Try to discern the why
these statements are facts or myths. Remember, there is still a lot to learn, and you are only
beginning. Give yourself the chance to learn and understand all there is to know in
Psychology.

References:

SLU General Psychology Manual

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means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 7
 https://www.verbalbeginnings.com/aba-blog/aba-behind-the-scenes-what-does-behavior-
really-mean/
https://online.king.edu/news/major-branches-of-psychology-guide/

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means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 8